Planning a Wedding for Any Destination

November 8, 2013
Words by Jennifer Stein
Photos courtesy of

Planning a destination wedding in any location can be tricky so we asked expert planners in all different regions to give us their best tips to making your destination wedding perfect! And check out the slideshow for some amazing destination wedding inspiration!

1. Stay away from busy weekends! – Jamie Bohlin of Cape Cod Celebrations knows how busy popular tourist destinations can be so when planning a wedding at a destination over a holiday weekend, especially on the Cape, you may want to take into consideration the travel details of getting your guests to your wedding. Some locations start their peak seasons over certain holiday weekends or school vacation periods. You do not want to make your guests deal with a ton of traffic getting to or from your destination or have them pay high prices for airfare or hotels rooms if you can help it. And in turn, you will most likely be paying top rate those weekends as well.

2. Hire a local planner! – Virginia Edelson of Bluebird Productions in Aspen, CO says this is so important for mountain weddings! Every location, especially remote and unique mountain locations, have a lot of intricacies that most weddings do not encounter; having an insider helps save you time, stress and money! The local planner will be able to help you base your planning timeline around the seasonalities of your selected mountain town, they will help you know where to source items locally versus ship in from afar, and they will be able to serve as a concierge for your guests. This person will also be able to help you manage your expectations so, when all is said and done, you are thrilled with your vendors and all the destination had to offer!

3. Prepare for weather! – Kelly Mcleskey-Dolata of A Savvy Event in Sonoma, CA says that because 90% of the venues in Wine Country are outdoor venues, you always want to make sure you have a plan B. We always hate to mention the “R” word but it can happen and you want to make sure you are prepared and ready and not scrambling at the last minute! With that being said you also could experience a heat wave so make sure you have things like parasols, umbrellas and fans for your guest and even on a hot day the evenings can be rather chilly in Wine Country so having pashminas for the ladies is always a nice added touch. Trust me they will thank you for them. The reason why you have probably chose Wine Country is for the gorgeous weather that we have most days however weather is the one thing we cannot predict ( I WISH WE COULD) so you want to be prepared regardless.

4. Relax! – Larissa Banting of Weddings Costa Rica says that Costa Rica is a magical country with warm, friendly people who are eager to share the beauty of their land with others. But being a Latin country, things happen on Tico Time so patience is definitely a virtue. Having a problem? Don’t get mad, get sweet. Asking for help will open the doors of the kingdom to you while raising a ruckus will get you nowhere as Costa Ricans hate confrontation. Adopt their Pura Vida (Pure Life) attitude and enjoy your time in the Happiest Place on Earth!

Photos Courtesy of Bluebird Productions by C2 Photography (1st), Weddings Costa Rica photo by A Brit and a Blonde (2nd), A Savvy Event photo by Allyson Wiley Photography (3rd), and Cape Cod Celebrations by Hike Photography (4th)

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